Draw-bar attachment for railway-car couplings.



No. 768,854. PATENTED AUG. 30, 1904. I. A. HINSON, DEOD.

M. HINSON, ADMINISTEATRIX.

DRAW BAR ATTACHMENT FOR RAILWAY GAR COUPLINGS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. I19 1 mentor: J61 A flfiilm'oia y M kzir Morueysi PATENTED AUG. 30, 1904 J. A. HINSON, DEGD.

m. nnrson, ADMINISTRATRIX.

DRAW BAR ATTACHMENT FOR RAILWAY GAR COUPLINGS.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 9. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented August 30, 1904.

PATENT ()FFICE.

JAMES A. HINSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; MARGARET HINSON ADMINIS- TRATRIX OF SAID JAMES A. HINSON, DECEASED.

-DRAW-BAR ATTACHMENT FOR RAILWAY-CAR COUPLINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 768,854, dated August 30, 1904.

Application filed January 9, 1903. Serial No. 138,439. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES'A. HINsoN, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draw-Bar Attachments for Railway-Car Couplers; and 1 do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the let' IO ters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. 5

, This invention relates to improvements in draw-bar attachments for car-couplers, and refers more specifically to an improved equal- 5 izing attachment designed for equalizing the stresses brought upon the draw-bar and the car-floor frame, to which the attachment is applied, when the car is rounding a curve and also for maintaining the draw-bar in a central position when the car to which it is applied is uncoupled from another car. i

The invention consists of the matters hereinafter set forth, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

5 In the drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a. car with my improved draw-bar attachment applied thereto, show ing the dra\ 'bar in transverse section. Fig. 2. is a View, partially in top plan and partially 3 in horizontal section, taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail view, partially in side elevation and partially in section, of one end of the attachment. Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on line 5 5 of Fig.

3. Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the attachment. Figs. 7 and 8 are detached views of the stirrups forming part of the attachment constituting my invention.

4 As shown in the drawings, A designates the end sill of the car, and B a carry-iron attached to and depending therefrom and through which the draw-bar 0 extends, said draw-bar being shown in Figs. 1 and 3 in transverse vertical section.

The improved attachment constituting my invention is made as follows:

D D designate two closed metal stirrups, made of general rectangular shape in plan view and alike in all respects, with theexcep- 5 tion that the stirrup D is made somewhat narrower than the stirrup D. Said stirrups I) D consist ea'ch of two parallel side members (Z (Z and integral end members d (Z The end members (Z .extend. above the upper margins 5 5 stirrups when assembled on the carry-iron B 5 are slipped over the upper arms of said carryiron before the latter is attached to the end sill of the car, one on each side. of said carryiron. The com exly-rounded end members of the stirrups are located above the horizontal 7 part of the carry-iron B and rest at their lower margins on said horizontal part of the carryiron, one at each side of the center thereof. The convex faces of said end members (Z face each other and are separated sufiiciently to afford easy space for the draw-bar. The side members of the stirrups extend diagonally downwardly from said end members (Z and, cross each other below the horizontal member of the yoke B. The yoke I) is made suffi- 8O ciently smaller than the yoke D to permit it to pass through said latter stirrup, with one side member of each stirrup located on each side of the horizontal part of the carry-iron B and with the flat end member (2 of said 5 stirrups extending transversely beneath said carry-iron.

.E designates a bracket which is secured by rivets b or otherwise to the lowermember of the carry-iron 13. Said bracket is provided 9 with vertical parallel end members (2 and is open at its lower side. The bracket is shown as made of the same width as the carry-iron B, and the side members of the stirrups D D are located. outside of the bracket, while the flat end members of the stirrups fit flat against the inner faces of the depending end members of the bracket. Said end members of the bracket and of the stirrups are apertured, and a horizontal bolt F extends through said bracket and the end members of the stirrup to hold the sti rrups in place on the bracket. Said bolt is held in place by means of a screwthreadcd nut f, which latter is locked on the bolt by a key or cotter-pin f.

G designates a spiral spring which surrounds the bolt F and is interposed between the end members of the stirrups and acts expansively to hold the outer ends of the stirrups at the outer limits of their movement and the inner ends thereof at the inner limits of their movement. Preferably said bolt is surrounded for a portion of its length by a sleeve F, which lits sufficiently close in the spring to prevent the latter from sagging or becoming twisted on the bolt.

The side members of the stirrups D D are provided with lugs (Z (Z respectively, the lugs being formed on the inner faces of the side members of the stirrup D, while the lugs on the stirrup l) are located on the exterior faces of the side members thereof. Said lugs strengthen the stirrups at the angles between the end and side members, and the lugs (Z fill the space between the side members of the larger stirrup l) and the carry-iron B above the stirrup l) and prevent twisting of the upper part of the outer end member (Z due to the reciprocation of the draw-bar when in contact with the convex end of said stirrup I). Said lugs have obliquely-formed contactfaces, which engage the upper margins of the side members of the stirrups.

The spring (1i acts to normally hold the end members (Z of the stirrups outwardly in contact with the end members of the bracket E, and thereby to hold the convexlyrounded faces of the end members (Z of said stirrups at the inner limits of their movement, and said end members (Z when so held are located a distance apart to permit the draw-bar to fit freely therebetween. Said draw-bar is loosely mounted in the draft-rigging in a manner to permit the outer end thereof and the head to swing horizontally when the train is rounding a curve. l Vhen said draw-bar swings horizontally, it is swung against the convexlyrounded face of one of the end members (Z depending upon the direction of swing of the draw-bar, and said stirrup yields to permit the draw-bar to swing to the necessary extent by reason of its connection with the spring in the manner stated without bringing objectional stress or strain upon the solid or unyielding parts of the draft-rigging or the floor-frame or platform structure of the car. The movements of the parts due to the swinging of the draw-bar in the manner described and the return of the draw-bar to its central position are effected without sudden jars or jerks being brought upon the draft-rigging, the strains and stresses being equalized in all parts of the movement of the draw-bar. Moreover, when the draw-bar is swung to one side of its central position, as when the car to which the device is attached is rounding a curve and. a connected car is uncoupled therefrom when in said position, said spring G acts through one of said spring-actuated stirru'ps, depending upon the direction of inclination of said draw-bar to return the free coupler draw-bar, to its central position, so that the draw-bar head will be in proper position for subsequent coupling with another car when the cars to be coupled are on straight track.

The stirrup D, the side members of which are located outside of the stirrup D, is provided at the ends of its end members (Z' with notches d, which are adapted to receive the strengthening-ribs d of the inner stirrup l) when said latter stirrup is shifted outwardly by reason of the swinging of the coupler draw-bar from one side of the central position of the couplerbar. The said strengthening-ribs ('Z of the outer end members of said stirrups are separated a sufiicient distance apart to pass one on each side of the end members of the carryiron B when said stirrups are at the outer limits of their movement.

An advantage of the attachment described is that the horizontal swinging movement of the draw-bar of the coupler to the passage of the train about a curve does not bring undue or objectionable torsional stress upon the platform or floor-frame structure of the car such as occurs where the draw-bar is confined between unyielding parts in said platform or floor-frame structure, and at the same time said draw-bar is held from too free a movement, it being confined between the end mem bers (Z of said stirrups when occupying its central position. Furthermore, the draw-bar is maintained in its central position when free or not coupled with the companion coupler of an adjacent car, and is therefore in position to register with and to be automatically coupled with such companion coupler.

It is obvious that changes may be made in the structural details shown without departing from the spirit of my invention, and 1 do not wish to be limited to such details except as hereinafter made the subject of specific claims.

I claim as my invention 1. In a draft-rigging for.car-couplers the combination with a draw-bar and a carry-iron, of a single spring and connections between said spring and the draw-bar acting to trans mit the pressure of said springs inwardly in opposite directions against said draw-bar to hold said drawbar in its central position while permitting the draw-bar to swing in both directions against the action of said spring.

2. In a draft-rigging for car-couplers the combination with a draw-bar and a carry-iron, of two independently-movable members supported on the carryiron and having parts which extend above said carry-iron, one on each side of the draw-bar and a single spring pressing in opposite directions against said members, and designed to hold the upper ends of said members at the inner limits of their movements and pressed against said draw-bar to hold the latter in its central position, while permitting said members to yield to allow the draw-bar to swing in both directions.

3. In a draft-rigging for ear-couplers, the combination with a draw-bar and a carry-iron through which the bar extends, of two inde pcndently movable stirrups having parts which extend above said carry-iron one on each side of the draw-bar and a spring interposed between said stirrups below said carryiron and designed to hold the upper ends of said yokes at the inner limits of their movement while permitting the stirrups to yield to allow the draw-bar to swing-in both directions.

structed to yieldingly hold the parts of the stirrups above the carry-iron at the inner limits of their movement.

5. In a draft-rigging for car-couplers, the combination with a draw-bar and a carry-iron through which the draw-bar extends, of two independently-movable stirrups having parts which extend above said carry iron one on each side of the draw-bar and cross each other diagonally and extend below the carry-iron, stops on the carry iron which limit the outward movement of the lower parts of said stirrups, and a spring interposed between the lower parts of said stirrups and normally holding the stirrups against said stops.

6. In a draft-rigging for car-couplers, the combination with a draw-bar, and a carry-iron through which the draw-bar extends, of two independently-movable stirrups having parts which extend above said carry-iron one on each side of the draw-bar and cross each other diagonally and extend below the carry-iron, stops on the carry iron which limit the outward movement of the lower parts of said stirrups, a bolt extending through the parts of the stirrups below the carry-iron, and a spring surrounding said bolt and holding the stirrups against said stops.

7. In a draft-rigging for car-couplers, the combination with a draw-bar, and a carry-iron through which the draw-bar extends, of two independently-movable stirrups having parts which extend above said carry-iron one on each side of the draw-barand cross each other diagonally and extend below the carry-iron, stops on the carry-iron which limit the outward movement of the lower parts of said stirrups, a bolt extending through the parts of the stirrups below the carry-iron, a spring surrounding said bolt and holding the lower parts of the stirrups against said stops, and a sleeve surrounding said bolt within said spring.

8. In a draft-rigging for car-couplers, the combination with a draw-bar and a carry-iron through which the bar extends, of two independently-movable stirrups slipped over said carry-iron, one of which is made smaller than and is contained partially within the other stirrup, said stirrups having parts above the carry-iron between which is located a drawbar and the side members of the stirrups crossing each other diagonally and extending below the carry-iron, stops on the carry-iron for limiting the movement of the lower ends of the stirrups from each other and a spring interposed between the lower ends of the stirrups and holding the same pressed against the stops.

9. In adraft-rigging for car-couplers, the

, combination with a draw-bar and a carry-iron through which the bar extends, of two independently-movable stirrups slipped over said carry-iron, one of which is made smaller than and is contained partially within the other stirrup, said stirrups having parts above the carry-iron between which is located a drawbar and the side members of the stirrups erossing each other diagonally and extending below the carry-iron, stops on the carry-iron "for limiting the movement of the lower ends of the stirrups from each other and a spring interposed between the lower ends of the stirrups and holding the same pressed against the stops, the outer or larger stirrup being pro vided on the inner sides of its side members with projections which are located above the side members of the smaller stirrup and engage the carry-iron.

10. In a coupler-centering device, the com bination with a stationary support, of a twopart draw-bar centering-guide, the parts of which have vertically-extending lugs engaging the sides of the draw-bar respectively, of a single operating medium connected to and actuating both parts of the guide, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 31st day of December, A. D. 1902.

JAMES A. I-IINSON.

' Witnesses:

VVILLIAM L. HALL, CARL H. CRAWFORD. 

